Synagogues: Architecture and Jewish Identity

Introduction: 1he Synagogue and the Temple p.9, The Mirror of an Identity and a History p.11, I. Symbolic Architecture: The Tradition p.13, The Meaning and Function of the Synagogue - Constructive Rules-The Question of the Sacred, The Synagogue as a Space p.19, The Relation of the Aron, Bimah and the Plan - Other Elements of Furniture: Variety of the Rites p.23, II. An Architecture of Exile p.30, 1. The Diaspora in Antiquity p.33, Birth of the Synagogue in Babylonia and its diffusion in Ancient Israel during the Times of the Second Temple p.35, The Synagogues of Palestine: The Archaeological Evidence p.38, The Greco-Roman World: The Mediterranean Basin p.41, On the Edge of Empires: Dura-Europos p.43, Influences p.44, 2. The Sephardic and Oriental Diasporas p.49, Sepharad p.52, Towards the Mediterranean and the Ottoman World p.55, Towards Amsterdam and the Atlantic Ports p.61, The Synagogues of North Africa p.68, Other Oriental Diasporas p.74, Influences p.80, 3. The Ashkenazic Diaspora p.83, From Ashkenaz to Yiddishland p.85, Stone Synagogues p.86, Wooden Synagogues p.91, From Exile to Exile p.100, Modern Ghettos p.108, Influences p.113, III. An Architecture of Identity p.119, 1. From the Ghetto to Emancipation p.121, The Hidden Splendors of the Ghetto p.124, The Italian Ghettos p.127, The Judenstadte of Central Europe p.131, Towards Emancipation: Haskalah and Renunciation of the Exile p.133, Neo-Classicism: the Style of the Emancipation p.137, 2. Architectural Styles and National Affiliation p.143, The Synagogue as an instrument of national affiliation p.145, Neo - Romanesque: variation on a religious and national style p.148, Gothic: a response to anti-Semitism? p.160, Other historicist forms: Renaissance and Baroque p.162, Magyarization and the Hungarian style p.165, 3. Orientalism: From Temple to Semitism p.171, The Temple of Solomon or the impossible model p.174, The quest for a Semitic architecture p.178, Germany under the Moorish spell p.179, Ludwig Forster: Oriental models p.183, Orientalism: successes and ambivalences p.188, IV. A Modernist Architecture p.203, 1. Functionalist Changes p.207, Art Nouveau and the challenge to the monumental p.209, Neo-Byzantine: a pathway towards modernity p.2013, Competitions and the formal explosion p.217, The first modernist projects p.219, The development of the community center p.222, 2. American and European Experiences p.227, Europe: From ruins to reconstruction p.229, Suburbanization and the vitality of American Judaism p.234, The great architects step in: from Mendelsohn to postmodernism p.237, A new -sacred? - art of the synagogue p.244, 3. The Synagogue in Israel p.251, The exiles return p.254, Architecture: international or Sabra? p.257, Working towards a synthesis p.258, Hurva, the Temple's dream p.262, A looking-glass architecture p.267, ANNEXES: Glossary p.273, Glossary of Architectural Terms p.276, Bibliography p.277, Index: Names of Institutions, of People and of Places p.279, Maps p.286